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Body mounts for 56 Belvedere Convertible
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JimBrennan
Posted 2019-01-13 6:43 PM (#576728)
Subject: Body mounts for 56 Belvedere Convertible


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Posts: 23

Finally tackling the body work on our 1956 Belvedere Convertible and have a question. Person doing the work has found no sign of the rubber body mounts we expected to be on the car, just nuts, bolts and washers holding the body to the frame. We're wondering if this was done at manufacturing to add rigidity to the convertible body or if they were removed in the 70's when the car had a lot of work done to it.

Anyone know?

I've attached a photo of the car as of this morning.




(IMG_3507.JPG)



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56D500boy
Posted 2019-01-13 7:55 PM (#576742 - in reply to #576728)
Subject: RE: Body mounts for 56 Belvedere Convertible



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JimBrennan - 2019-01-13 6:43 PM Person doing the work has found no sign of the rubber body mounts we expected to be on the car, just nuts, bolts and washers holding the body to the frame. We're wondering if this was done at manufacturing to add rigidity to the convertible body or if they were removed in the 70's when the car had a lot of work done to it.


I don't know but I would find it very surprising that there were no rubber insulators, PNs 1401 572 and/or 1401 573, when the car left the factory, such as these (more under the photo):



https://www.ebay.ca/itm/1937-1956-Plymouth-Dodge-Body-Mount-Cushion-...

BUT Upon further searching, I found this:

chrysler300c - 2007-03-10 12:30 AM

The body mounts for a convertible are different than for a coupe, sedan or wagon. They are rigid metal cups rather than the normal round rubber mounts. I can post pictures of each, if anyone would like to see the differences.

My experience in remounting the body to the frame of a coupe or convertible, is to sit the body on the frame with just the pad and no additional shims. The body mounts are to be torqued at 18 foot pounds. At that point, see how the doors align to the openings and add shims at the middle mounts to open the top and close the bottom of the rear door reveal. Add shims at the front and rear to open the bottom and close the top of the door reveal. To add the shims, you must loosen the body mounts and gently raise the car off the mount to insert the shims.... usually one at a time, then re-torque the mounts and check alignment. It is a tedious task but one that is well worth the effort when you get the alignment just right. The front fenders should have adequate adjustment to be able to match to the front edge of the doors.... I always apply masking tape to both edges of painted panels before attempting the mounting. I have also always mounted the entire front clip as one piece as was done at the factory. It helps if you have pre-fitted it to the body before you paint and then removed it as one piece and not taken it apart again.


You might want to go to MyMopar.com and download the 55-56 Plymouth service manual.

http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=109

There is some interesting stuff in Section XVIII Body

Like this (previously posted by DepsilonD):



And this from the FSM:

Edited by 56D500boy 2019-01-13 8:24 PM




(55-56PlymouthServiceManualConvertibleBodyMountingAdjustments.jpg)



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JimBrennan
Posted 2019-01-13 8:54 PM (#576745 - in reply to #576728)
Subject: Re: Body mounts for 56 Belvedere Convertible


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Posts: 23

Thank you very much. I
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Phil_the_frenchie
Posted 2019-01-14 3:38 AM (#576758 - in reply to #576728)
Subject: Re: Body mounts for 56 Belvedere Convertible



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I agree; no rubbert mounts on convertible, only metal cups. I remember that on my convertible the two extreme rears were inverted.
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StillOutThere
Posted 2019-01-14 11:01 AM (#576765 - in reply to #576728)
Subject: Re: Body mounts for 56 Belvedere Convertible



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Steel cup washers and bolts on convertibles. No question about that.
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1960fury
Posted 2019-01-14 3:02 PM (#576770 - in reply to #576728)
Subject: Re: Body mounts for 56 Belvedere Convertible



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That really suprises me! That makes me think this should work on a non-convertible too. Not? I always wondered, as I have a rust-free coupe body here, I saved from becoming a sofa, and a frame someone separated (the mounts are partially missing and I have no clue how/where they go) if welding the frame to the body would work, I was reluctant to ask, as it sounds very radical and stupid, but now I wonder if that is a way out of the dilemma. Of course with large reinforcements where the body is welded to the frame. This should make the whole structure very rigid and I never liked the body/frame thing.
What do you think? The car is a 59 Fury coupe, or can someone tell me EXACTLY with pictures how the body mounts were installed and where they go?
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Powerflite
Posted 2019-01-14 6:56 PM (#576779 - in reply to #576728)
Subject: Re: Body mounts for 56 Belvedere Convertible



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You should be able to get that info from the FSM in the frame section if a '59 Plymouth owner can't help you out. Flexing of the body would likely cause the body metal to crack right at the welds over time. The bodies on these cars weren't designed to be rigid as a unit. But it is no problem to replace the rubber with solid mounts if that's what you would like to do. I recommend that you replace them with polyurethane mounts. Not as solid as steel, but much harder than rubber.
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1960fury
Posted 2019-01-14 7:47 PM (#576783 - in reply to #576779)
Subject: Re: Body mounts for 56 Belvedere Convertible



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Powerflite - 2019-01-14 6:56 PM

You should be able to get that info from the FSM in the frame section if a '59 Plymouth owner can't help you out. Flexing of the body would likely cause the body metal to crack right at the welds over time.


Yes, that is what I was thinking but a bolt connection without rubber insulators is not designed to allow flex too and if that even works for a convertible, why not on a more rigid coupe? And one could weld the frame/body in more places than just the few body mount locations and over a greater area to distribute the forces better. As I said, I'm very surprised that convertibles didn't use rubber mounts but I really do not consider welding the body to the frame, but I'm pretty sure it would work.
Are there Poly mounts available for these cars?

Edited by 1960fury 2019-01-14 7:51 PM
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StillOutThere
Posted 2019-01-14 7:51 PM (#576784 - in reply to #576728)
Subject: Re: Body mounts for 56 Belvedere Convertible



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My Kiekhaefer special order 300C "Road America" coupe is built on a convertible frame and it has all steel cup washer body mounts.
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1960fury
Posted 2019-01-20 12:53 PM (#577120 - in reply to #576783)
Subject: Re: Body mounts for 56 Belvedere Convertible



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1960fury - 2019-01-14 7:47 PM

Powerflite - 2019-01-14 6:56 PM

You should be able to get that info from the FSM in the frame section if a '59 Plymouth owner can't help you out. Flexing of the body would likely cause the body metal to crack right at the welds over time.


Yes, that is what I was thinking but a bolt connection without rubber insulators is not designed to allow flex too and if that even works for a convertible, why not on a more rigid coupe? And one could weld the frame/body in more places than just the few body mount locations and over a greater area to distribute the forces better. As I said, I'm very surprised that convertibles didn't use rubber mounts but I really do not consider welding the body to the frame, but I'm pretty sure it would work.
Are there Poly mounts available for these cars?


Can somebody confirm this is in the frame section of the 59 FSM? Isn't this only a supplement of the 57 FSM? Is there detailed information of where and how the body mounts go in the 57 FSM? And again, are there polyurethane mounts available for these cars?
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Powerflite
Posted 2019-01-20 7:17 PM (#577133 - in reply to #576728)
Subject: Re: Body mounts for 56 Belvedere Convertible



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The poly mounts I referred to are re-purposed '57 Chevy poly mounts. Not an exact copy, but they work.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Prothane-1955-1957-Chevy-Bel-Air-Body-Mount...
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